Business Commons^™

A Survey Of Tennessee Extension Agents’ Perceptions Of The Tennessee Extension Agent Performance Appraisal System, Joseph Leonard Donaldson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study aimed to describe extension agent perceptions of the Tennessee Extension Agent Performance Appraisal System. A survey instrument was developed to address the research questions. The instrument had two sections: Satisfaction with the Current Appraisal System (14 items) and Satisfaction with Appraiser Performance (7 items). The instrument was reviewed by an expert panel and pilot tested with a group of 39 extension agents. The instrument was deployed online to the study population.

The population studied consisted of all extension agents employed by the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University in January, 2010 (N=312). The total completed responses were …

Requirements Specification For Dsic: Distribution System For Information And Collaboration, Alex Abrahamian

Computer Science and Software Engineering

There seems to exist an invisible barrier between people that should be connected but for whatever reasons (don't hang out in the same circles, don't go to the same meetings, or are geographically separated) haven't met each other yet.

Normally these people will only meet when others bring them together or they are thrown together on a project. DSIC aims to preempt the person discovery process by allowing a way for people to post ideas, events, and other collaborations in a single place that can then be searched by other users.

The system utilizes postings, user profiles, and a tagging …

Using Self-Service Technologies To Solve The Problem Of Labor Shortage In Macau’S Lodging Industry, U Ka Kit

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Macau, the world's leading gaming destination, is suffering from labor shortage. Hotels operators found it difficult to compete with the casinos for the limited human resources. In this article, the author suggests self-service technologies (SSTs) as a possible mean to solve the labor shortage problem in Macau's lodging industry. The literature review shows the seriousness of the problem, and analyze the pros and cons of SSTs, the main reason its implemented and how it is perceived by the customer. Then, base on the review, the author provides five step implementation guide of SSTs in hotel. The author also presents recommendations …

Attracting And Retaining Quality Managers: The Critical Factors, Ketan Shah

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose

The purpose of this professional paper is to develop options and a plan of action for what it takes to obtain and retain quality hotel management in the Midwest. Typically when we find quality general managers, they don’t want to move to the Midwest and don’t like smaller towns. More specifically, I hope to come up with a plan of action that I can present to my father and his partner to help the company obtain and retain quality general managers.

Developing An Employee Training Addendum For A Sustainable Hospitality Operation, Devonne A. Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As sustainability has become an important part of everyday life for American consumers, it is important that the hospitality industry do whatever it takes to meet their needs. Consumers expect businesses that they patronize to have policies in place for waste reduction, air and water conservation, and improved air quality and environment. Without the support of the front line employees, however, a hospitality operation has no chance to obtain sustainable success in these arenas. By creating addendums to previously existing employee handbooks, businesses are able to provide their employees with new policies and expectations of sustainable behaviors. This professional paper …

Labor Shortage And The Development Of Gaming Industry In Macau, Liz Chiu Nga Ming

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the labor shortage in Macau directly affects the growth and development of the gaming industry. As Macau is currently facing similar situations like PRC China, the blooming economy became the main cause for companies to use lucrative salaries to attract quality employees from different sources, including school dropouts as well as current employees from other organizations. In the long run, this could cause a negative impact to the industry as the companies might be forced to promote immature and inexperienced employees to senior positions in order to fill the …

Literature Review On Turnover - To Better Understand The Situation In Macau, Ut Lon Im

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Macau is enjoying the prosperity brought by the increase of gaming operations. However, this rapid development imposed a great challenge in Human Resources Management. The hospitality industry is experiencing a high turnover rate, which affects the service quality and long-term sustainability. Major causes of turnover were reviewed from Western based and Asian based literature. Local studies were also included to provide a better picture of the turnover causes in Macau. Some recommendations were made to help retaining talented employees.

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Environmentally Sustainable Practices In Municipal Government: A Case Study Of The City Of Knoxville’S Department Of Parks And Recreation, Anthony Michael Brown

Masters Theses

Sustainability practices produce programs and services that meet current needs while preserving the environment and natural resources for the future. City parks and recreation departments are facing budget shortfalls and increasing expectations from customers. Governments are now embracing sustainability practices to create financial savings while also fostering relations with customers.

The purpose of this single case study was twofold: (1) to examine the effectiveness of one city department’s strategies in outsourcing its environmental sustainability program through a performance contract with Ameresco; and (2) to examine the perceptions of key department employees about the effectiveness of the sustainability initiative. A …

Adjusting Payroll With Changes In Business Volumes: An Examination Of Nevada Gaming Properties, Toni A. Repetti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation analyzes expense preference behavior by managers of Nevada casinos. Annual aggregate data is obtained from the Nevada Gaming Control Board from 1990 to 2010. Using ordinary least squares regression, three models are run to account for various payroll related expenses. The dependent variable in the first model is number of employees. The second model uses salaries and wages as the dependent variable and the third model uses total payroll. All models include predictor variables of total revenue as an indication of size, a dummy variable for market concentration and a dummy variable for recessionary periods.

The finding show …

Detrimental Effects Of Interventions With The Corporate Governance Mechanisms Of Young Entrepreneurial Firms, Guclu M. Atinc

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess the post-IPO performance structures of young entrepreneurial firms. Based on the propositions of the signaling model, I propose that the firm IPO performance is a determining factor in post-IPO changes in ownership structures. Furthermore, I contend that the new owners that replace the original ones in young IPO firms will be prone to request changes in corporate governance mechanisms such as top management team membership and the boards of directors based on the need to have their own agents looking after their interests as recommended by the agency theory. Following these alterations …

Two Essays On Managerial Incentives, Hui Liang

Doctoral Dissertations

Jensen and Meckling (1976) and Jensen (1986) argue that the separation of ownership and control may generate agency problems between managers and shareholders. The equity-based compensation, by tying managerial wealth to firm long-run stock performance, can incentivize managers to be more receptive to undertaking value-increasing financial policies and to improving firm performance therefore can be used as an effective tool to achieve consonance between managers actions and shareholders interest. Over the last two decades, the increased prevalence of equity-based compensation in the form of stock and options, is partially due to an increased acceptance of the alignment effect of equity-based …

The Family And Medical Leave Act: Effects On Women's Wages And Employment, Andrea E. Miller

Honors Theses

For many years, women's labor force participation and issues of parental leave have been of great importance not only to families and individuals, but also to policy makers, researchers, and employers alike. The Family and Medical Leave Act was the first federal policy enacted in an effort to accommodate medical leave for employees. The Family and Medical Leave Act allowed both men and women to take extended, unpaid leaves due to personal or family medical and health issues. The FMLA establishes a federal, minimum leave threshold in order for employees to take such an extended leave to include the following …

Examining The Relationship Between Work/Life Conflict And Life Satisfaction In Executives: The Role Of Problem-Focused Coping Techniques, Heather S Mcmillan

Doctoral Dissertations

Determining not only what makes people, but also how many people are, satisfied personally and with work has become an ongoing stream of research for both academics and practitioners. The idea of satisfaction is of such concern today that Gallup-Healthways conducts a survey, and reports, on the daily well-being of Americans (http://www.gallup.com/poll/106915/ gallup-daily-us-mood.aspx). Given the importance of satisfaction to individuals, organizations and society at large, it is imperative to understand the predictors and mediators of satisfaction. Research has been conducted on the negative (i.e., inverse) relationship between satisfaction and work/life conflict, as well as the positive relationship between coping and …

The Computer Ate My Classroom: Assessing Student Interactions, Perceived Learning, And Satisfaction In Online Community College Career Technical Education Courses, Jessica Lindsey Miller Lewis

Dissertations

Workforce changes, globalization, and increasing use of technology create the need for an increased number of skilled workers. The community college system, through Career Technical Education (CTE), serves as a catalyst for skills training; however institutions must seek innovative ways in which to attract and retain students. Online learning offers flexibility in time and space, the ability to reach a larger student population, and to attract a new generation of digital learners. For these reasons, online learning enables institutions to develop a larger pool of skilled workers through online CTE courses.

Interaction is a key factor in the learning process …

The Creative Coach: Exploring The Synergies Between Creative Problem Solving: Thinking Skills Model And Non-Directive Coaching, Trevor J. Mcalpine

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project looks at the similarities and differences between the most recent version of Creative Problem Solving called Creative Problem Solving: Thinking Skills Model and the approach to coaching known as Non-Directive Coaching. Creativity practitioners are challenged to find opportunities of engaging in formal full-blown, group-based Creative Problem Solving sessions. There is a need to find other, less formal ways of helping people use their creativity. The Thinking Skills Model’s design allows it to mesh with the creative process in other content areas by making the basic concepts of Creative Problem Solving transferable to those other contexts. Non-Directive Coaching …

Vacation Time In Europe And America: An Inquiry Into Varying Benefit Systems Across Cultures, Benjamin Hunter Southard

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Controlling Labor Costs In Restaurant Management: A Review Of The Internal-Marketing Concept As A Method For Enhancing Operating Efficiency, Scott Yandrasevich

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Restaurants experience many challenges, including economic uncertainty, competition, demographic shifts in target markets, changes in employee work habits, and such financial considerations as maintaining adequate cash flow. Controlling costs in the restaurant business is essential to the success or failure of the establishment. In the hospitality industry, labor costs are very high; in fact, they amount to approximately 45% of operating costs. The goal of this review is to promote further research into identifying the specific criteria that govern the relationship between the use of labor resources and the goal of operating efficiency, mainly with a focus on internal marketing …

Exploring How Employee Empowerment Impacts On Hotel Front Desk Operations, Janggon Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Statement of Objective:

This paper will not try to solve a specific problem, but will serve to provide a more exploratory look at how employee empowerment impacts on front desk operations. First, this paper will examine the existing empowerment practices used in hotels and how it works in the real business world. Secondly, the paper will discuss the impacts of empowerment in terms of increased productivity, employee retention (satisfaction), and service recovery.

Justification:

Examples of empowering employees can easily be viewed at hotel front desks in the hospitality industry since the front desk is the first and last contact of …

A Conceptual Model For Employer Training To Manage Employee Counter-Productive Behaviors, Naomi Spickard Rock

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a model for employer training to manage employees who possess counter-productive behaviors. With the increasing encouragement for employers to hire without discriminating, the number of individuals with disabilities in the workforce will rise. There is limited training in universities and businesses to teach how to deal with difficult individuals.

Qualitative research in the form of focus groups was conducted. The following research objectives were developed: 1) Identify components of counter-productive behaviors that need to be managed in the workplace. 2) Develop behavioral management strategies that need be learned by employers. 3) Integrate …

Who Calls The Shots In Dining Customer Service, Kendi Root

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction:

Americans have become impatient with poor dining service standards. Some believe a depressed economy, lack of skilled labor, and even bad customers have contributed to a new epidemic (Kim & Chen, 2010). Bottom line, most paying customers probably prefer a pleasant service staff to an unpleasant one. Service staff with pleasant personalities and positive attitudes impact the customer experience and overall satisfaction (Ryan & Ployhart, 2003; Barrash, & Costen, 2008). Grandey in 2003 coined this “QSD” or quality service delivery.

Case Synopsis:

The case study depicts a critical service incident with a dining service encounter in an upscale, full …

Architecture Based Workload Analysis Of Uas Multi-Aircraft Control: Implications Of Implementation On Mq-1b Predator, Jason D. Mcgrogan, Michael F. Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

An increased demand for use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) without commensurate increases in pilot manpower has prompted proposals for simultaneous control of multiple aircraft by a single pilot or Multi-Aircraft Control (MAC). To understand the potential effects of MAC, an IMPRINT Pro, Multi-Resource Theory, pilot workload model was developed from pedigreed system architecture. Feedback from active UAS pilots was used to validate the model and establish a workload saturation threshold value of 60, above which pilots may experience performance degradation over extended periods of time. The model predicts that pilots experience low workload when operating one or two UASs …

Leadership Criteria Under Maximum Performance Conditions, Aaron J. Pauli

Theses and Dissertations

Since the seminal work investigating the relationship between typical and maximum performance by Sackett, Zedeck, and Fogli in 1988, there has been a marked increase in research in this area. Although much research has furthered the relationship between typical and maximum performance, none have attempted to identify which leadership effectiveness criteria are considered most important to an individual’s maximum performance, or assessment of one’s potential. Thus, this empirical study seeks to identify the leadership effectiveness criteria under maximum performance conditions as it relates to entry and middle level managers. Using an exploratory factor analysis, the results suggest an interesting comparison …

The Positive Impact Of Negative Feedback, Mark B. Richey

Theses and Dissertations

While feedback is an essential element of performance, there is little theory explaining the effects of negative feedback. Disagreement exists as to whether negative feedback is good or bad and this impacts its use. Fortunately, control theory provides scholars with an opportunity to better understand negative feedback and the conditions necessary to support its intended function. This study examined the relationship between negative feedback and task performance in a leadership development environment. This work asserts that performance is contingent on perceived feedback usefulness, such that the relationship is stronger when feedback usefulness is high and weaker when it is low. …

Modern Leadership Compared To Historical Leadership Shown Biblically, Forrest Jones

Master's Theses

Modern Leadership Compared to Historical Leadership Shown Biblically

Forrest Jones

This thesis is a comparison between modern leadership and historical leadership. Modern leadership has been differentiated from management since the early 1980’s. Historical leadership is shown by Jesus Christ through the Bible, used as a historical text. Historical leadership was found to have two separate tools used by Jesus Christ which would be useful additions to what leadership today is. The first tool is submission to authority. Most people in positions that would be considered leadership positions do not feel that they need to follow anyone else. Often times they …

Learning The “Craft Of Auditing”: Applications Of The Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework, Kimberly D. Westermann

2011

This dissertation consists of three studies examining component(s) of the cognitive apprenticeship (CA) model applied to on-the-job learning in auditing. This abstract summarizes each study, including purpose, methodology, and findings. The first study provides descriptive evidence on the importance and pervasiveness of CA as a model of on-the-job learning (OTJL) in auditing, investigates changes in its use over time, and assesses factors that promote or hinder auditors’ learning through apprenticeship. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 relatively new and more experienced audit partners at a Big 4 firm, seeking their impressions about past and current OTJL practices in public accounting. …

Evaluation Of Knowledge Transfer In An Immersive Virtual Learning Environment For The Transportation Community, Mary Leah Caillier Coco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the year 2009, 667 individuals lost their lives in a highway construction or maintenance work zone (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, 2010). Since the year 2003, 6,438 individuals have been killed in a highway construction or maintenance work zone, which is approximately 805 deaths per calendar year (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, 2010). This eye-opening and unfortunate statistic points to the need for a re-evaluation of training methodology as it relates to work zone safety. This study reports on the use of virtual learning technology for work-zone training. This research tested the use of an Immersive Virtual …

Managing The Millennials: Employee Retention Strategies For Generation Y, Nicholas W. Thompson

CMC Senior Theses

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of Millennials' beliefs and attitudes and how that will affect their conception of the employer-employee psychological contract. This analysis should provide a greater understanding of how the childhoods of Millennials have affected their attitudes for life and career aspirations. Further, it explores retention strategies for workplace culture, management style, and growth and advancement.

Lexington Humane Society: Analysis Of Volunteers, D'Arcy Robb

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Lexington Humane Society depends substantially on volunteer labor yet suffers from a high volunteer attrition rate. Using data from the organization’s database and a survey of volunteers, this project paints a demographic picture of the volunteer population and identifies traits that affect volunteer longevity.

The evidence shows that the organization’s volunteers are overwhelmingly likely to be pet-owning women with no children at home who are motivated to volunteer because it allows them to act on their values. Middle-age individuals are more likely than those under 25 or over 65 to become long term volunteers, and individuals who have recently …

Improving Intelligence In A Counterinsurgency Or Counterterrorism Environment Through The Application Of A Critical Thinking-Based Framework, James Henry Hess

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The intelligence community is responsible for providing competent analysis and assessments pertaining to the many significant geo-political situations that may potentially or do effect the nation’s interests. The intelligence community has always experienced challenges living up to that charge, and while it may merely be a case of the nature of the profession, there are always lessons that can be learned and processes that may improve the analytical processes. Critical thinking is a cognitive process that may be able to provide that improvement to the analytical processes, and when an analytical framework is built by applying these cognitive skills, the …

A Comparison Of Career Goals And Educational Values Between Hispanic Immigrant And Caucasian United States Citizen Employees Of Louisiana Crawfish Farm Operations, Richard Dean Johnson Ii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hispanic immigrants come to the United States with hopes to obtain a better life for their families through perceived better wages and educational opportunities. One source of income for Hispanic immigrants is through employment in crawfish farm operations. Crawfish farm operations benefit from the employment of Hispanic immigrants through government programs that supply workers to the industry. Therefore, many crawfish farm operations in Louisiana employ both Caucasian U.S. citizen and Hispanic immigrant labor to operate efficiently. The purpose of this study was to compare selected characteristics of crawfish farm workers as well as to explore values related to education, monetary …